Reid Hospital Governing Board
Volunteer board members wear many hats
Jon Ford
Family, church, community
Being the "chairman of the board" and, in a sense, at the top of the Reid family organizational chart, is a natural role for Jon Ford. He and his wife, Judy, preside over a family of five children, and 10 grandchildren, who are scattered from South Carolina, to Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Montana and Alaska.
Because his 40-year career with Purina Mills took the Fords all over the country, their children grew up in different areas, and some settled in those spots."Our children all like each other, and we make a concentrated effort to get the entire family together at least every two years." Because four of the five children worked at Glacier National Park in their college years, that has been a favorite gathering spot.
"Four years ago, the whole family went out and hiked 37 miles over a week with kids on our backs." The family also vacations together in northern Ohio on Lake Erie.
The Fords' other family is their church - Christ Presbyterian Church - where Jon is an elder. A recent temporary commitment as the Richmond-Wayne County Chamber of Commerce interim president & CEO has called Ford to lead another group. "Whenever I do something, I can't do it halfway," Ford noted, saying he is eager to relinquish the chamber reins to the new CEO.
Reid
Hospital & Health Care Services governing board, he has had theopportunity
to see his role from several perspectives.
"I wear a hat as a potential customer and look at the care we provide from a personal standpoint." Before his retirement as plant manager at Purina Mills, he also had the perspective of a community employer.
"Health care is a major budget item in most companies, and board members need to be sensitive to that." But in his role of governance of the hospital, he also has had to examine budgets, capital expenditures and make sure that the decisions were good decisions for Reid as well as the community.
Reid's decision to build a new hospital required him to wear all those hats. "People don't want to travel outside of their community to get health care," Ford said, "and we want to keep our rates low and still provide the highest rate of quality.""The good news is we've taken good care of this building," Ford said, referring to the existing Reid, which includes structures dating back to 1903. "The bad news is we've taken good care of this building."
Because of the up-to-date look and feel of the hospital, he said"Many don't understand the space, heating and air conditioning problems that the existing facility creates." When Ford came to Richmond in 1980, he had already worked for Purina in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Iowa and Pennsylvania and been involved in civic service wherever he lived.
"The company was always supportive of community involvement." But his service on various boards has been from a personal interest as well."I have served on boards when I felt that the board members didn't have the information they needed to make decisions. To Reid's credit, I have never left a meeting feeling I didn't have the whole story," he said. "And, If I didn't have the information I needed, I felt comfortable asking for more details." Ford noted that he has a trust that the hospital's employees have done their homework. "Reid's people are knowledgeable and articulate in the presentations, and their recommendations are not frivolous."
Ford makes sure he participates in hospital-wide activities that involve interaction with Reid team members."People tell me what a great place Reid is to work," Ford said. "The mission statement is actually happening and is not 'fluff'." "People need to have a passion for what they do, whether they are a truck driver, an assembly line worker or a health care provider," Ford said."When you don't have passion, a job is just a job and the results will show it."
"At Reid passion comes out in ways all the time. I have seen this as family members received treatment, and I have seen it when people go out of their way to walk someone to their destination. People at Reid go above and beyond."
"Jon is an outstanding board member," said Reid President Barry MacDowell. "He thinks with a wonderful blend of both his head and his heart.
